Abstract

Most children in the Netherlands are born and grow up healthy in a safe and protected environment, but not all of them. The action programme Solid Start (in Dutch: Kansrijke Start), launched in 2018, makes it possible for municipalities to set up initiatives to support parents before, during and after pregnancy. Since 2019, RIVM has been monitoring the extent to which such initiatives have been set up and how the health of young children is developing.

This sixth monitor shows that the number of municipalities that have signed collaboration agreements to give children a proper start has continued to grow (to 90% in total). In addition, the collaboration between professionals from the social and medical domains (such as maternity care, youth healthcare and municipalities) has continued to improve, including at the regional level. Collaboration is important in order to identify problems early on, to be able to refer people quickly and to support existing or expectant parents. Municipalities also offer residents an increasing number of initiatives, such as Not Pregnant Now (in Dutch: Nu Niet Zwanger).

Even so, there is still room for improvement. For example, many municipalities are still working on getting experiential experts, as well as existing and expectant parents, more involved when developing initiatives. It is important to have them contribute ideas, as this will help align the programme with their needs.

The monitor also shows, as it did the last time, that many children continue to be born in the Netherlands in difficult circumstances, like poverty. Families in that situation are less likely to use facilities like maternity care. Moreover, 16.5% of expectant parents suffer from mental health problems, and 33% of mothers suffer from depression, anxiety or stress after giving birth.

Furthermore, an increasing number of infants are overweight (10.3% in 2024, up from 8.4% in 2018). Additionally, the speech and language development of two-year-olds is increasingly lagging behind (6.5% in 2024 compared to 5.4% in 2018).

It is too early to say that Solid Start has become a permanent part of municipal policy and will remain so. It also takes time before results become apparent. Municipalities and other stakeholders are concerned if and to what extent national support from the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport and the funding of Solid Start will continue to exist in the future. Focus on health before, during and after pregnancy continues to be necessary, at the national, regional and local levels.